


Four Times H.G. Wells Didn’t Say “I Love You” (and One Time She Did)

by Minna Leigh (minnaleigh)



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Episode Related, F/F, Misses Clause Challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-27 16:47:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minnaleigh/pseuds/Minna%20Leigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five scenes from the relationship between H.G. and Myka.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Four Times H.G. Wells Didn’t Say “I Love You” (and One Time She Did)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tigerbright](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerbright/gifts).



“I _think_ I’m going to regret not letting her freeze to death. But, by then, it will be too late. For all of us.”

H.G. stood behind Pete in the umbilicus and listened to Artie speak, every word an obstacle she was going to have to overcome. She blinked away the tension in her face and followed Pete towards Myka.

“I should go and talk to him,” Myka looked worried, a furrow between her eyebrows.

Pete reached out and grabbed her arm. “You should _not_ go and talk to him. That’s the worst thing you could do-- take it from a fellow guy.”

“Since when is Artie a ‘guy’?” Myka’s tone wavered between argumentative and amused. H.G. found the contrast appealing.

Pete sighed. “Since-- just trust me on this one, okay? He’ll come around-- or not-- in his own time, in his own way.”

“Pete’s right.” They turned in unison and looked at her, their eyebrows raised and mouths falling open, the identical expressions making them seem like siblings. “Artie’s right to be cautious.” Righter than he even knew. “It’ll take time.”

Myka nodded and removed her arm from Pete’s hand. The three of them stood in awkward silence for a moment.

H.G. knew Myka would be her best unwitting ally. Plus, she just felt drawn to her. "Myka, I owe you a debt of gratitude for your kind words to the Regents. Perhaps I could repay you with dinner?" H.G. arched her eyebrows. _Do say yes._

Myka grinned and ducked her head. "That's really not necessary." She was so adorable.

"Please. It would make me happy.” That was an understatement. “And it will give Artie time to cool down before we join him at Leena's." H.G. turned to Pete. "Pete, you're more than welcome to join us."

Pete shook his head. "Thanks anyway, but Kelly's cooking chiles rellenos tonight. In fact, I should be heading there now. Catch you guys later!"

H.G. felt bubbles of giddiness rise up in her chest. She quite liked Pete but she’d rather she and Myka were alone. Especially since time was so limited. She turned to look at Myka. “Well, it looks as if it is just the two of us.” H.G. gestured towards the door. “After you.” The two women exited the Warehouse and settled into Myka’s car. She started driving to town.

“Where shall we go?” H.G. asked. Not that she cared particularly what they ate for dinner.

"The dining options in Univille are kind of limited. There's Chinese.” Myka glanced over at her. “Or-- well, really, if you want something edible, there's just Chinese." Her gaze went back to the road.

"Chinese will be fine.” H.G. laughed. “Or so I presume, never having had it."

"You've never had Chinese food?" Myka asked.

"The options for dining out were rather different one hundred years ago."

"Oh, right." Myka's forehead was wrinkled. "I keep forgetting that you were bronzed for that long. You seem so--"

"Normal?" H.G. looked over at Myka and quirked the left side of her mouth up.

"No, not normal." They laughed together as Myka realized what she'd said. "I mean, you don't seem like you've been away from the world for one hundred years. The world must have changed so much but you don't even seem to notice."

Actually, she does notice the ways in which the world has changed. And the ways in which it has not. "Truthfully, it was all a bit daunting at first. But that was before we ran into each other at my house. By then, well, I'd adjusted somewhat." She turned and looked out the window. "This is rather a tiny little town, isn't it?"

"Yeah. There's not much to Univille." Myka parked the car in front of a strip mall. "Before we go in, you should probably know--" H.G. braced herself for disappointment. She didn’t want to have to start over with Pete. "Everyone in Univille hates us. They think we work for the IRS."

"The IRS?" What is it with the future and all the acronyms? They were ridiculously ubiquitous.

"The Internal Revenue Service. Income tax collectors." Myka smiled a rueful smile. “So you can see why we’re not the most popular people in town.”

H.G. was delighted. "What a clever idea for a cover story!"

"Well, at least you and Artie agree on one thing."

Walking from the car towards the door of the restaurant, H.G. ushered Myka ahead of her with a hand at the small of her back. She caught a whiff of Myka’s perfume and she shifted slightly closer and inhaled deeply. At the door, she reached past Myka to open the door for her. A middle aged man with a bushy moustache wordlessly directed them to a table and slapped two menus down.

“I see what you mean.” H.G. said quietly. She pushed the menu to one side. "I'm placing myself entirely in your hands, darling. Do be gentle, won't you?"

She watched a rush of pink slide from Myka's forehead all the way down to her chest, disappearing into the V-neck of her blue shirt. She wanted to follow the flush and see how far down it went.

Myka sputtered for a moment but before she could speak, the server appeared by the table, a surly expression on his face. "Yeah?"

Myka looked up at the server and a wide, artificial smile slid onto her face. "Hi Stan, we'd like an order of egg rolls, sweet and sour prawns, chicken fried rice, and beef chop suey."

Stan scrawled on his order pad for a moment and then stalked away without responding.

"Myka, do you think we could we get them to package the food up so we take it elsewhere?"

The corners of Myka’s mouth turned down. "Oh.” Her voice sounded disappointed. “You want to head back to Leena's already?"

"No, not at all.” She stroked a finger across the back of Myka’s hand. “It's just such a lovely night. Surely, there's someplace we could go to enjoy it while we eat." Someplace we could be alone. "Where we could see the sky. I missed the sky."

Myka's expression softened. "Sure. There's a place I know. I'll just get Stan to make the order to go." H.G. watched Myka walk away from the table, her bottom swaying enticingly in her jeans.

When Myka came back to the table, she had a paper bag balanced on her left hip. She gestured towards the door with her free hand. "Let's head out."

In the car, Myka drove down Main Street out of town, away from the Warehouse, away from Leena's. "When I transferred here, I was horrified by the thought of living in South Dakota, but there are some advantages to living in the middle of nowhere." Just out of town, she turned left onto a nearly invisible road. A track, really. "You don't have to go far at all to be alone with the stars." She stopped the car and turned it off. "Bring the food. I've got a blanket in the trunk."

H.G. felt like the ground wasn’t quite solid under her feet. She had no idea what to expect. She had anticipated, based on Myka's reactions to her flirtatious remarks, some hesitancy on Myka's part but Myka seemed to be making this easy on her. A secret spot to look at the stars. A blanket at the ready. This was going to be fun. She picked up the bag with the food in it and climbed out of the car. Myka was bent over, searching the trunk. H.G. placed her hand on Myka's lower back. "Can I help?"

"Nope! I've got it now." Blanket in hand, Myka straightened up and turned towards her, H.G.'s hand sliding over to Myka's hip.

H.G. made eye contact with Myka. "How delightfully cozy."

"Cozy?" Myka’s mouth hung open slightly.

"The blanket. It looks warm and cozy."

"Right. The blanket. I knew that was what you meant." Myka turned and walked a few yards away from the car and unfurled the blanket. H.G. watched her tidily straighten it, seeming to square it parallel with some unseen line, and brushing away wrinkles. Her motions were so charmingly precise that H.G. couldn’t look away.

Myka kicked off her shoes and sat down crossed legged on the blanket. H.G. walked over to join her, taking a deep breath. This was it. She hoped. She set the bag of food on the blanket and bent down to remove her boots. She sat on the blanket with her legs stretched out in front of her, her thigh deliberately pressing against Myka's knee.

Myka reached for the bag and began unpacking the food. "These are egg rolls. They are-- well, actually I'm not entirely sure what is in them," she said, babbling. "But they're good. Well, they’re extremely greasy. But still oddly appealing." She placed a second white styrofoam container on the blanket. "These are shrimp in a sweet and sour sauce. Don't let the neon red color disturb you too much." She pulled out another container and opened it to peek inside. “Beef chop suey. That’s beef and vegetables in, um, some sort of sauce.” She laughed a rapid, high-pitched giggle. “I do usually know more about what I’m eating than this.” She removed the last container and set it on the blanket. “Chicken fried rice. That-- should be pretty self-explanatory, actually.”

The babbling was a promising sign. Perhaps Myka was as affected by her closeness as she was Myka’s. “It sounds-- well, I believe you’ll be able to keep your promise of ‘edible’, at any rate.” H.G. reached for the chop suey container. “Are there forks or are we meant to eat with our hands?”

“Sorry, sorry, I’m being a bad hostess.” She rummaged in the bag.

Wanting to reassure her, H.G. placed her hand on Myka’s thigh. “Not at all! You’ve brought me to this lovely place and shared your cozy blanket with me. Myka?” She waited until Myka looked over at her. “I’m having a delightful time, darling. Truly.”

Myka smiled and looked back down at the bag. She handed a fork to H.G. and kept one for herself.

“This really is a lovely spot.” H.G. wondered how likely it was that they would be interrupted. “Do you and the others come out here often?”

“Yeah. I mean, I do.” Myka ate a bite of shrimp. “The B&B gets a little crowded sometimes so I come here when I want some space.” She took another bite and chewed, her gaze focused on the food. “I’ve never brought anyone else here.”

H.G. was touched. She put down her container of food and turned to look at Myka. “Then I am especially honored that you’re sharing it with me.”

Myka shrugged and was quiet for a moment. Then she looked H.G. in the eye. “Helena, um, I’ve never even told the others where I go when I take off.”

H.G. reached out and placed her hand on Myka’s cheek. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Her thumb brushed against Myka’s lips. Her lips felt so soft.

Myka inhaled sharply, her nostrils flaring. Her face was rosy and her dilated pupils looked steadily into H.G.’s eyes. H.G. felt a warm rush of arousal streak from her extremities to her core. Everything except this moment with Myka ceased to exist.

“All your secrets are.” With her free hand, she took the styrofoam container out of Myka’s hand and set it aside. She leaned in and lightly brushed her lips against Myka’s. She could feel Myka’s breath on her face and her own breathing sped up. She pressed her lips more firmly onto Myka’s and, parting her own lips, H.G. slid her tongue across Myka’s lower lip. There was a brief hesitation and then she felt Myka respond. H.G. deepened the kiss. She started to push Myka back onto the blanket. Myka broke the kiss off.

“I don’t know-- I've never-- I don’t--"

H.G. was relieved that inexperience seemed to be Myka’s only objection. That made things easier. “I do know.” Quite well at one time, if numerous reports are to be believed. “And I’m fairly certain the basic mechanics haven’t changed in the last hundred years.”

\----

H.G. inserted the plastic card into the slot in the door and groaned in frustration when the light showed red instead of green. Whatever happened to keys?

“Let me.” Myka took the card from H.G. and slowly slid it in. The light turned green and the lock released. “You were being too impatient with it.” The two of them entered the hotel room.

“If I’m impatient, then it’s your fault, darling.” H.G. pulled the heavily laden bag from Myka’s hand and let it thump onto the floor. She pulled Myka to her and kissed her slowly and thoroughly. She’d been ready for this since they booked the plane tickets.

She felt Myka’s fingers tighten in her hair. The familiar sensation excited her, and she felt a rush of warmth between her legs. When they finally pulled apart, they were both slightly out of breath.

“I cannot believe that we are finally alone in a city hundreds of miles away from anyone who knows us.” H.G. kicked off her shoes in a rush. “With a bedroom that doesn’t have any shared walls with our colleagues.” She unbuttoned her jacket and dropped it to her feet. Clothes were entirely uncalled for at the moment. “And the instant the artifact was bagged, you headed for a _bookstore_!” She removed her shirt and tossed it to the floor. Listing the delays was perversely arousing, now that they were alone. “And took cell phone pictures of yourself!”

Myka kicked her own shoes off. “First of all, it wasn’t just any old random bookstore, it was _Powell’s_. One of the greatest bookstores in the entire country. A Mecca for book lovers.” She removed her jacket and hung it on the back of a chair.

H.G. moved closer, her gaze intent upon Myka. The jacket was a start but everything else needed to be removed as well.

“And second of all, that’s how I got Artie to send me on this assignment with you. He was going to send Pete!”

That would have been unfortunate. With Pete this would have just been a means to an end. H.G. reached out and started unbuttoning Myka’s shirt. She couldn’t wait long enough for Myka to finish talking.

H.G.’s fingers grazed flesh and Myka drew in a ragged breath before she spoke. “I begged for the chance to come to Portland and since, obviously, I couldn’t tell him _why_ , I told him I wanted to go to Powell’s.” Myka’s voice was rough and hoarse. The sound of it turned H.G. on. She loved how Myka sounded like a life long smoker when she was aroused.

H.G. slid the shirt off of Myka’s shoulders and it hit the floor. H.G. leaned in and licked Myka’s collarbone before beginning to nibble her way up to Myka’s ear.

“The cell phone pictures were to prove I went,” Myka spoke into H.G.’s neck as her hands unfastened H.G.’s bra.

Myka’s hands cupped H.G.’s breasts and her thumbs dragged across her nipples. H.G. moaned. She was so distracted that she could barely follow Myka’s explanation. H.G. reached out and undid Myka’s bra, letting it drop.

“And third of all, I have never spent that short a time in a bookstore in my life.” Myka took a step back from H.G. and began undoing her trousers.

Even in her preoccupied state, H.G. could recognize how unusual it was for Myka to willingly vacate a bookstore before the closing bell. She started removing her own trousers, her movements slow and distracted as she watched Myka continue to undress.

Myka pushed her trousers down to her ankles and then stood upright and faced H.G. “I spend more time browsing the rack of paperbacks in a _gas station_ than I spent in Powell’s today!”

God, she was gorgeous when she was riled. Even more so when she was naked and riled.

Myka stepped out of her trousers. “Do you realize that I don’t even have a clue what books are in that bag? I just threw random books into the cart because it would look suspicious if I didn’t buy anything!”

H.G. kicked her trousers to the side. “It sounds to me as if you are a bit impatient yourself.” She walked over to Myka. “I appreciate that you rushed your bookstore trip for me.” She reached out and slipped her fingers into the waistband of Myka’s knickers. She leaned forward and kissed Myka, a deep, thorough kiss. “I’d like to suggest, though, that the time for rushing is over.”

She heard Myka gasp as she slid the knickers down her legs.

“Agreed?” She didn’t wait for an answer.

\----

It was time. Past time. H.G. lifted up the trident and jammed it into the ground. A tremor rattled the earth and Myka was thrown to one side. H.G. bit her lip to keep from crying out Myka’s name. Water spouted and there were hundreds of jeweled rainbows floating in the air. H.G. looked up into the sky where the clouds roiled in anticipation.

Cracks appeared in the ground. H.G. was startled by how rapidly the destruction was occurring.

Artie looked around. “Myka!” Myka was on her hands and knees looking at him as he spoke. “Three times. Don’t let her do it three times!”

“I won’t.” Myka got to her feet. Myka’s jaw was set and her arm was rock steady as she pointed the gun at H.G.

“I wouldn’t.” H.G. warned. The gun worried her. Myka would hurt herself if she fired. The thought distracted her from lifting the trident out of the ground.

“Myka, talk to her.” Artie’s voice was tinny and weak, as if it were coming across a distant phone line. H.G.’s focus was fully directed at Myka. She was petrified to hear what Myka would say. She didn’t wish to be talked out of this. She _wouldn’t_ be talked out of this.

Myka lowered the gun to her side. “So, what, the entire planet is subject to your judgment now?” The hand that didn’t hold the gun reached out to H.G. “What about the millions of mothers who are going to lose their daughters just like you lost Christina?” Myka took a breath. “Is that right?”

Things hadn’t been right for some time now. If ever they had been. “This is no world for a child.” Or anyone else.

“I don’t think you believe that.” Myka shook her head slowly as she spoke.

 _No, you_ hope _I don’t believe that._ “I do. Watch me.” She was defiant. She pulled the trident out of the ground.

“Nooooooo!” Myka screamed.

H.G. slammed the trident into the ground. The water spouted higher and H.G. felt the warm spray across her face. The ground shook and Myka was thrown down onto her back. H.G. averted her eyes from Myka’s prone figure and stared around her at the havoc she was creating.

“You are lying to yourself,” Myka accused.

No, she wasn’t. H.G. looked at Myka. She had been lying to herself, lying about her feelings for Myka, lying about her reasons for seducing her. But that was before.

Myka panted. “You never wanted this. If you wanted to kill--” She took a ragged breath. “Pete and me, you would have done it in Warehouse 2, or in Paris. And Artie? You would have let him die in Russia but you _didn’t_.”

H.G. shook her head. “I needed you to trust me,” she protested. Myka was mistaken. She _was_.

“No, you needed us to stop you. You wanted us to follow you and stop you. That’s why you called Pete this morning.”

No, she’d called Pete because she couldn’t bear talking to Myka. Yet here they were.

“ _Think_ , Helena!” Myka sounded frantic, her voice loud and high pitched.

H.G. had had a hundred years to think! She lifted up the trident.

Myka’s took a step forward. “You are so filled with grief and anger but there is a part of you, I know it, there is some small part of your soul that, that knows this is wrong and, and that part is still alive and it’s just pushing to get through.” Myka moved closer and closer to H.G. as she spoke.

She was too close but H.G. couldn’t step away. H.G. looked at Myka, looked down at her lips as she spoke. She was almost mesmerized by the movement of those familiar lips.

“Yes,” Myka said, her voice soft and careful. She nodded. “That’s the part that refuses to kill the very people who can stop you.” She reached for H.G.’s arm.

Suddenly, as if awaking from a dream, H.G. reacted. She seized Myka’s arm. “No! Stay away from me!” H.G. held tight to Myka’s arm. She was struck suddenly with an image of the last time she’d grasped Myka’s forearm like this, in a hotel room in Portland, when she’d pinned Myka to the bed. She was too startled to step back.

“All right. If I am wrong, then kill me now.” Myka forced the gun into H.G.’s hand. Both her hands wrapped around H.G.’s, forcing her to aim the gun at Myka’s forehead.

H.G. detested the cold slimy feel of the metal weapon in her hands. It felt evil and barbaric.

“I mean, we’re all going to die anyway, right? So what’s the difference?” Myka said.

H.G. let out a sob. She couldn’t do this. She could not.

“So shoot me!” Myka dropped one hand to her side. “Shoot me now.”

H.G. gasped for air. This wasn’t fair. She couldn’t stay angry, couldn’t stay filled with hate. Not while standing eye to eye with Myka.

“Kill me.” Myka let go of the gun.

The gun was a heavier burden than its size would indicate but H.G. held it steady, aimed at Myka’s forehead.

“But not like that. Not like a coward. I want you to look me in the eyes and take my life.” Myka’s forehead was pressed into the barrel of the gun.

H.G. was breathing hard. The arm that was holding the trident up was burning with exertion. She was just so tired.

Myka’s eyes bored into H.G.’s. Her pupils were dilated. “Come on. Do it.”

H.G.’s finger tightened on the trigger.

“Do it!” Myka yelled.

H.G. screamed and threw the gun on the ground. She collapsed onto her knees. She started to sob as if she would never stop. She cried for Christina. She cried for Myka. She cried for the world. She cried for herself.

\----

“Thank you.” From just outside the open door, H.G. could hear Mrs. Frederic speak and Myka’s startled gasp.

“Oh, I’d forgotten about that.” Myka laughed. H.G. closed her eyes. She’d missed Myka’s laugh. And so much else.

“You were so helpful during our recent mission, I just wanted to thank you in person.”

“You’re welcome. I’m glad I could help. Really.”

“There’s someone I want you to speak with.” If she had a heart, it would be pounding in her chest.

H.G. stepped into the room. “Hello Myka.” She wasn’t sure if this was a good idea. Wasn’t sure of her welcome.

“Wha-- wha-- why—Mrs. Frederic, why would you bring her here?” Myka looked back and forth between Mrs. Frederic and H.G. She sounded scared. H.G. had done that to her.

“She can’t hurt you Myka. She can’t hurt anyone.” Myka looked confused, standing there with her mouth hanging open slightly. “Trust me. I’ll leave you two alone.”

H.G. stood, hands in pockets, and looked Myka up and down. It was so good to see her again. Even like this. And so very difficult. Difficult because it brought back so many memories. Some she treasured and some she’d rather forget. Difficult because she was facing a rejection she greatly deserved but didn’t think she could survive.

Myka’s jaw was set. She did not look at all friendly. Which was more than understandable, really.

H.G. licked her lips. “Myka.” H.G. stepped closer to Myka. She knew what she wanted but she wasn’t sure how to achieve it. “You hate me for what I did. You hate the Warehouse for what it did to you.”

“No.” Myka shook her head. She seemed quite definite. “No, I don’t.”

 _Oh, darling, you really do. Even if you won’t admit it._

“We became friends because we’re alike in many ways.” ‘Friends’ for Mrs. Frederic’s ears. This may have the appearance of a private conversation but H.G. had no illusions.

Myka looked away. “Except that I, I didn’t want to destroy the world and kill everybody in it.” Her voice was sharp and she bit off the ends of each word. She sounded absolutely livid. That was marginally preferable to scared.

“I’m not proud of what happened.” H.G. started to speak, stopped and started again. “But that it drove you away from the Warehouse--" H.G. took a deep breath. That she stole more than just herself away from Myka. Myka shook her head slightly and looked away. “A hundred years ago, I went into the bronzer filled with hate.” She swallowed. “It grew inside me like a cancer.”

Myka still would not make eye contact. H.G. felt desperate to continue trying to reach her, to connect with her.

“All I thought about was what I’d lost, what the Warehouse had taken _from_ me, turned me into.”

Myka flicked her glance over at H.G. Her mouth softened and her body lost a small part of its tension. She was listening. She was _hearing_.

“Be careful Myka. Hate so easily turns into fear. Don’t walk away from your truth.”

Myka looked steadily at her. “That’s why you’re here.” Myka nodded like she finally understood.

“I haven’t actually come here.” H.G. chuckled and then grinned at Myka’s puzzled look. Myka uncrossed her arms, reached out and put her hand right through H.G.’s chest and ran it up through her face. H.G. gasped and sighed. She could almost feel that. She could still remember what it was like to be touched by Myka. She thought she would always remember that. H.G. smiled. Always miss that. Myka ran her fingers horizontally through H.G.’s upper chest. Her eyebrows were furrowed.

“So, what, you’re some kind of holographic projection? Or--"

“I’m.” H.G’s eyes rolled upwards. “Being held. I don’t know where or how.” She swallowed. “They can, it seems, transport my consciousness.” She wrinkled her nose and smiled, amused at her own envy. “Wish I’d thought of that!”

Myka smiled slightly. It was a start.

H.G. stared at Myka. “Please think about what I’ve said.” And everything I can’t say because of where we are and what I did. Think about that too, sometimes. But not too often.

\----

Myka stood back up, her hand gripped tightly around her future, her salvation. In secret moments stolen from putting together Warehouse 14, she had searched and searched. Hit dead end after dead end. Her search, her frantic hope, was the only thing making her grief bearable. Now that she had found it, she was afraid to open her hand and use it. What if it didn’t work? Her hand ached from her desperate grip on the coin and her shoulders shook as she sobbed.

The Farnsworth buzzed wildly in her pocket. She couldn’t answer it. The video screen made clandestine missions awkward. She wasn’t where she was supposed to be. And whoever it was would see that she was crying.

Myka took a ragged breath and wiped the tears from her cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket. She walked over to the desk chair and sat down. She probably shouldn’t do this here. The building appeared deserted but it would still be safer to get a hotel room. She couldn’t wait-- it had already been so long. At the very least, she had to know if it worked, if it were possible. She _had_ to know.

With a shaking hand she cleared the dust off a patch of desk, wiping first with the palm and then the side of her hand until she was satisfied it was clean enough. She finally unclenched the other hand and looked at the shiny gold coin on her palm. She set it down on the desk and kept it covered with her hand for a moment longer, reluctant to let go, worried it might vanish. She reached for the bag she’d left on the desk and pulled out a dull, black sphere.

She took a deep breath. This had to work. It _had_ to. She picked up the coin and inserted it into the nearly invisible slot on the bottom of the sphere. Biting her lip, she lifted the top half of the sphere and turned it a quarter turn. Light poured out of openings in the sphere. She closed the sphere and the entire surface became covered in glowing purple squiggles of light. It was going to work! Waves of light began to emit from the ball and slowly resolved into a human form.

Myka watched as the familiar form in the sage green jacket came into focus. Tears leaked from her eyes. “I thought I’d never see you again!” She reached for H.G. and H.G. reached back. Myka’s hand went through Helena’s causing ripples of distortion in the light that made up her arm.

“Myka, darling, what happened?”

“You-- your body. There was an explosion. You saved me-- us-- but you died in the blast.” Her eyes darted over the hologram, wondering at the fact that she could see her, that she was standing right in front of her even though Myka had seen her vaporized.

“Oh dear. I was rather attached to that.” She threw back her head and laughed. “Well, not literally, of course! At least not since I became a hologram.”

Myka forced a chuckle out. It wasn’t funny to her but she’d missed laughing at Helena’s jokes about the darkness.

H.G’s. face became solemn. “Darling, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t make light of the situation. Not when you’ve had such a dreadful experience.” She waved her hand up and down herself. “But you see, the body might be gone but _I_ am still present and accounted for.”

Myka leaned forward. She was nervous about this next bit. “About that--" Her voice trailed off. She bit her lip. “I’ve been thinking-- during the months it took me to find the Janus coin-- you could still have a body. We could make it so that you still had a body!”

“Darling, I don’t understand.” Helena toyed with the ring on her finger.

“We could transfer or download or whatever you-- your memories and personality-- into another body. Someone else’s body.” Myka knew it could work. Knew it _would_ work. It had to. “We’d have to get some help. I think Claudia, maybe, would be able to--"

“Myka--”

Myka shook her head. She didn’t want to hear what H.G. was going to say next.

“You know we can’t do that. I mean, perhaps we _could_ do it, from purely a practical perspective. But not from a moral one.”

Myka could feel tears escaping down her cheeks. “But--"

“No.” H.G.’s voice was gentle but definite. “We still have this.” She gestured down at her simulacrum of a body. “Me, here, like this.”

“It’s not enough.” Myka’s voice broke.

“No, it’s not enough. It’s not everything we had.” She smiled. “But it’s something. It’s more than most people get. I can be here with you, talk to you.” H.G.’s voice got very quiet. “I can tell you I love you.”

Myka’s heart pounded in her ears and her stomach felt like she was on the down slope of a roller coaster. “You never said that before. Why now?”

“Darling, I couldn’t say it. Not when-- It wouldn’t have been fair to say it when I was planning to detonate a super volcano. And after--" She looked down at the floor. “After, I was afraid you wouldn’t believe I meant it.” She looked back up at Myka. “I’m sorry for not saying it earlier. Truly sorry.”

“It didn’t matter. I knew. I knew when you didn’t shoot me.” Myka reached for Helena.

Myka jerked awake. Her arm was stretched towards emptiness. As it dropped to the mattress, she could smell the smoke on her skin. It was just a dream. None of it was real. The Janus coin was still lost. And even if it weren’t, everything that made H.G. herself had been transferred from the coin into the body before it was vaporized. There was nothing left but the memory of her. Myka dragged herself out of bed. Maybe a third shower would get finally rid of the smell. And at least the sound of running water would keep everyone from hearing her cry.

On her way to the bathroom, she stopped and looked out the window, up at the sky. She took a moment to soak in the view of the stars. “I love you, too.”


End file.
